Paris Lees – Biography, Book & BAFTA Drama

Paris Lees is a British author, journalist, broadcaster, and campaigner best known for her memoir What It Feels Like for a Girl, her groundbreaking role as British Vogue’s first transgender columnist, and the BAFTA-nominated BBC drama adaptation of her life story. Born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, Lees has built a career that spans writing, television, radio, and transgender rights activism. Her work has drawn significant public attention, particularly following the 2025 release of the BBC Three series based on her teenage years.

Lees’ trajectory from a bullied child in Nottingham to a nationally recognised author and BAFTA nominee is central to her public narrative. She has used her platform to challenge tabloid narratives around trans lives, while maintaining strict boundaries around certain details of her personal life. This article examines her published work, career milestones, age and background, and the questions that continue to drive public curiosity.

What is Paris Lees’ book and BAFTA-nominated drama?

• Paris Lees is a prominent British transgender advocate who broke barriers at Vogue and received a BAFTA nomination for her autobiographical drama.
• Her memoir What It Feels Like for a Girl (2021) and its TV adaptation are central to her public identity.
• Despite her public profile, details about her private life – including partner and family – remain largely undisclosed, fueling search curiosity.
• The term “Paris Lees before and after” reflects public interest in her transition narrative, which she addresses in her own words in interviews.
• Lees co-founded the trans advocacy network All About Trans and was involved in founding META, described as the first British trans magazine.

Paris Lees book: What It Feels Like for a Girl

Published by Penguin in 2021, What It Feels Like for a Girl is a memoir recounting Lees’ life from ages 13 to 18. The book details her experiences growing up in early-2000s Nottingham, the severe bullying she faced, and her developing identity as a young trans person before she began her gender transition at university. Penguin describes Lees as an author and campaigner.

Paris Lees drama: BAFTA-nominated TV adaptation

In 2025, the BBC Three and iPlayer series What It Feels Like for a Girl brought Lees’ memoir to the screen, with Lees involved in the adaptation and writing. The series was later picked up by Prime Video for U.S. streaming in 2026. The show received multiple BAFTA Television Awards nominations in 2026, including Best Limited Series and Best Writer: Drama for Lees herself, according to the BAFTA nominations list and Attitude magazine.

How old is Paris Lees and what is her background?

Paris Lees age and birth year

Sources report differing birth years for Lees. The Wikipedia entry states she was born in 1984, while a profile in the RadioTimes gives her birth date as 28 July 1986, making her 38 years old at time of that report. She was born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire, a fact confirmed by her Penguin Random House author profile and Wikipedia.

Paris Lees childhood and early life

Lees has spoken about experiencing severe bullying during her school years in Nottingham. After a difficult upbringing, she returned to education and graduated with a first-class degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Brighton in 2009. The university highlighted her as a groundbreaking alumna in a 2025 profile piece.

Paris Lees birth name and transition

Lees has not publicly disclosed her birth name. Multiple sources, including a Yahoo News report, state that she began her gender transition while studying at university. She has been known publicly as Paris Lees since that time. Her memoir and the TV drama center on the period before she transitioned, presenting her early adolescence through the lens of a young trans person.

Who is Paris Lees’ husband or partner?

Paris Lees partner and relationship status

No reliable, publicly available information confirms a husband or names a current partner for Paris Lees. Repeated searches across her verified social media, publisher profiles, and news databases yield no official confirmation. Searches for “Paris Lees husband” remain largely speculative. Her United Agents profile and Wikipedia page do not list a spouse or partner.

Paris Lees family: dad and grandmother

Information about Lees’ father and grandmother is limited. A 2018 interview with Leftlion magazine provides some context about her upbringing, but full names or current status of family members are not verified in authoritative sources. Lees has generally kept her family out of the public eye.

What is Paris Lees’ career and activism?

Paris Lees as Vogue columnist and journalist

Lees made history when she became the first openly transgender woman to appear in British Vogue. She later became the publication’s first columnist from the transgender community. Her work has also appeared in The Guardian and The Independent. Her Vogue profile page lists her as a contributor, and she continues to write for the magazine. The achievement is closely associated with the legacy of editors like Anna Wintour, who has overseen the magazine’s evolution toward broader representation.

Paris Lees activism and public speaking

Alongside journalism, Lees co-founded All About Trans, an organisation that works with media to improve representation of trans people. She was also involved in launching META, described as the first British trans magazine. In broadcasting, she was the first openly trans woman to present on BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4, and she has appeared as a panellist on Question Time. Her career also includes work as a presenter and campaigner, as noted by her United Agents representation.

What are the key events in Paris Lees’ life?

1. 1984/1986: Born in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.
2. Early 2000s: Transitioned as a teenager; began using the name Paris Lees.
3. 2009: Graduated with a first-class degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Brighton.
4. 2010s: Became a journalist and transgender rights activist; wrote for The Guardian, The Independent, and others.
5. 2018: Announced debut book in a Leftlion interview.
6. 2021: Published memoir What It Feels Like for a Girl with Penguin.
7. 2022: Became first transgender columnist at British Vogue.
8. 2025: TV adaptation of What It Feels Like for a Girl aired on BBC Three/iPlayer.
9. 2026: Received BAFTA Television Award nominations for Best Limited Series and Best Writer: Drama.

What is known and what remains unclear about Paris Lees?

What is the broader context of Paris Lees’ impact?

Paris Lees represents a generation of British trans public figures who have used mainstream media to tell their own stories, directly challenging the tabloid narratives that have historically dominated coverage of trans lives. Her BAFTA nomination for a drama based on her own teenage years marked a significant milestone for transgender representation in British television.

The intense public search interest in details like her birth name, transition (“before and after”), and relationship status reflects a persistent audience desire for intimate personal information. Lees has navigated this by drawing a clear line: she is open about her identity and her past in the ways she chooses to frame them through her writing, but she has reserved certain details, such as her birth name and current partner, from public discussion.

Like fellow British media personalities such as William Hanson, Lees has built a career that spans books, broadcasting, and public commentary, establishing herself as a distinct voice in contemporary UK media.

Where can I find Paris Lees’ own words and official profiles?

“Lees is the first transgender columnist at Vogue and was the first transgender woman to appear in British Vogue.”

— Wikipedia, Paris Lees page

“Paris Lees is Contributor on British Vogue. Read Paris Lees’s bio and get latest news stories and articles.”

— British Vogue, Paris Lees profile

“She’s a journalist, presenter, and transgender rights activist, now adding to the mix with a new book due to be released this year.”

— Leftlion magazine interview (2018)

Summary

Paris Lees is a pioneering British author, journalist, and transgender rights activist. Her memoir What It Feels Like for a Girl and its BAFTA-nominated BBC drama adaptation have cemented her place in contemporary British culture. As the first transgender columnist at British Vogue and a history-making broadcaster, she continues to break new ground. While she is open about her identity and career, she has chosen to keep certain personal details, such as her birth name and current relationship status, private.

Frequently asked questions